“My lord, this is madness!”

For an unmeasurable moment, Eärnur glanced at his steward then turned to take his gauntlets from his page. As he pulled them on Mardil stepped into his vision again.

“And the city, my lord? Your people? What of them?”

Eärnur held his sword up to the light and watched the runes flare bright against the duller steel.

“One would think you had no faith in me,” he said.

“Not by the hand of man will he fall,” Mardil quoted.

Eärnur smiled at him, arrogant and beautiful in his strength.

“Nay, by the hand of king!”

______________________________________________

_{Mardil is quoting Glorfindel, who, after the Witch King had scared Eärnur's horse into embarrassing flight in the great battles in the north, said,
"Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall."}